Meet the Researchers

Laura Baker

Dr. Baker is a cognitive neuroscientist who is a nationally recognized leader in the areas of aerobic exercise and hormone supplementation as treatments for memory decline associated with pre-clinical and early stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Carl Cotman

Dr. Carl Cotman is a Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology and Behavior at the University of California, Irvine where he began his career in 1968. He is international recognized for his contributions on how exercise builds brain health. Since 1995 he has also been the Director of the California Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at UCI and is the Founding Director of the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Diseases (iMIND).

Valerie Lawson

For over twenty years Valerie Lawson has been a leader and advocate for change in the health field focusing on transforming care as a developer and manager of human centered designed health programs and products. Ms. Lawson has exemplary expertise in the areas of health, nutrition, behavioral change and wellness. She is a certified exercise physiologist and a registered dietitian. During her tenure at YMCA of the USA she has developed evidence based and informed programs that address the health crisis in communities across the nation. Among her other responsibilities as a Director, Ms. Lawson also trains people in a variety of skills ranging from lifesaving to interpersonal relationships.

Contact Info

Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study
University of California, San Diego

The EXERT Study is taking place at 13 academic medical centers and specialty clinics across the US. Find a location near you.
The EXERT Study represents a public-private partnership comprised of the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study at the University of California, San Diego, the Y-USA, Wake Forest University, the University of California, Irvine, and 12 additional academic medical centers specializing in Alzheimer’s Disease research. The EXERT Study is funded by the National Institute on Aging.